Things Are Not Always What They Seem
by septembermorn
Summary: Has Sherlock Holmes gone mad or are things not how they seem to Dr. Watson?  Read and find out and then tell me what you think.  Always like hearing reviews, critiques, suggestions and the like.


**Things are not always what they seem**

I was getting a little annoyed with my companion. Earlier this evening he had returned home from making inquiries into his latest case and had brooded over the matter for some time when all of a sudden he animatedly insisted that we come here tonight. When I had asked him as to why we should come, he merely stated that it would be an interesting change of pace and that it might prove profitable to him before the evening was out. Needless to say I was quite confused by his manner, but it wouldn't have been the first time. In fact, he had been acting a little strangely for some time now. He had been rather secretive about one of his cases and he had been receiving an unusually large amount of correspondence. However, for Sherlock Holmes to insist that we attend a party was indeed a first occasion. Before the night was over, there were several of those 'first occasions' to occur to make it a very memorable night.

"Holmes, I can't understand why you insisted that we come to this ridiculous party."

There were tables and chairs all around the outside edge of the entire room except for the front where the musicians were situated. We were seated at a table in the far left hand corner of the large ball room. Holmes had taken the chair in the back so he could observe the entire room (which left me the seat with my back to towards the room). For most of the evening Holmes had sat there watching the people in his usual intent manner; watching, searching, watching and searching.

"I told you earlier, old fellow, why we were coming. You could use the socializing and my mind needed a brief reprieve. Ordinarily I wouldn't have chosen such a mass gathering of human beings as a place of _rest_ mind you, but like I mentioned before, I have an invested interest in this little affair tonight."

"Hum! Invested interest indeed!" I mumbled. "We certainly aren't doing much socializing as you call it."

I watched as the same peculiar light came into Holmes' eyes as when he was on a case. The fire in his eyes seemed to set his whole body ablaze with suppressed energy. And suddenly he seemed to decide to use some of that excess energy. He extinguished his cigarette, finished off his brandy glass and stood to straighten his suit jacket. All the while he appeared to be watching someone in particular.

"Then lets get started, shall we, Watson?" With that he darted off.

I turned in my chair to watch him as he made a beeline for the entrance and straight towards the small group that had just entered. Holmes immediately commandeered the attention of the youngest member of the party.

She was a beautiful, young girl about 5' 7" and not more than thirty. Her hair was an impressive shade of strawberry blond and she had it neatly styled and curled to complement her blue dress. Her skin was very fair which showed that she wasn't accustomed to spend much time out of doors.

Holmes was acting every bit the gentleman, which fascinated me more than his charming companion

Holmes had led the girl onto the vast dance floor. To my great amusement Holmes was not as graceful as some of the other couples on the floor, but he was, with some effort, making a good impression of a fair and amiable dancer. After a few minutes of dancing and talking they were on the exact opposite side of the room from me by the large bay doors leading to the terrace. Holmes abruptly stopped their dancing. Even from the distance that separated us I could tell that Holmes was staring at the girl as if she were his prey. And he was closing in on her. He firmly but gently pushed her up against the wall between the terrace door and the first of the floor-length windows.

I trusted my friend implicitly but he wasn't exactly acting like himself. Thinking he might have had too much brandy, I wondered if I should go and aid the lady. For my part I was all astonishment and unsure what to do. But the rest of the room seemed to take no notice of them except some slightly overweight, older women who were always on the lookout for some gossip.

However, what happened next drove every other thought from my mind. Holmes' tall figure leaned down to the lady's more petite one and he kissed her! An honest to goodness, full on the mouth, makes the world spin kind of kiss!

My mouth fell open and my forgotten cigarette fell into my forgotten glass of whiskey and soda.

Surprisingly, the woman made no protest to Holmes' advances. In fact, she seemed quite pleased when Holmes took her face into his hands and deepened the kiss.

My dazed mind couldn't register exactly how long it might have lasted, but surely not much more than a few moments, however, it could have been a lifetime and I never would have noticed the great passage of time. Holmes eventually backed away from the girl and watched her. I wished to heaven that I could see what expression he might have been wearing at such a moment.

I couldn't fathom what sort of breach of sanity had overcome Holmes, but I must confess, I was mildly amused by the strange effects it had on my friend. In the back of my mind I wondered how long I should let him go on before I intervened and took him back to Baker Street for some apparently much needed medical attention.

Holmes said something to the girl, who was still lost in the after effects of Holmes' kiss but she nodded her assent and they moved to go outside on the terrace. To my surprise Holmes looked back over to me with a stern expression and motioned slightly for me to join them. Even though it was a silent gesture, it seemed more of an order than an invitation or a request. He returned his attention to following his companion out onto the terrace as he took his handkerchief from his pocket and carefully dabbed at the lipstick that still lingered on his lips.

As quickly as possible I found my way around couples and groups of people to the other side of the room. As I opened the door and stepped outside, somewhere my mind registered that it was a warm night. However, what took me by the most surprise was the scene that I was now witness to. It was not what I was expecting at all. Holmes was standing firmly a little ways to my right with his arms folded across his chest. His companion was standing beside a shrub tree in front of me at the corner of the terrace. It appeared that she was almost hugging the tree. As I looked closer I spied that she had been handcuffed around the tree to keep her in place.

The lady was spitting insults, oaths, and threats at my friend most vehemently, but she was calling him by a different name. Another glance at Holmes showed that her words were merely bouncing off his chest and having no effect at all upon him. In fact, he seemed rather amused by the situation.

"Holmes!" I exclaimed.

The lady started at the name and quit talking.

"Holmes!" I said again. "What, in heavens name, has come over you? A gentleman doesn't go around handcuffing a lady to shrub trees."

Holmes' lips curled up into a smile.

"Under normal circumstances I would say you are correct, old fellow."

"This is no joke, Holmes."

Finally the lady spoke up again. This time is was much more subdued and had the air of defeat.

"Holmes?" She asked. "Mr. Sherlock Holmes?"

"Yes, madam," Holmes answered, bowing his head slightly. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Now, really, Holmes, this is utterly disgraceful." I was still quite bewildered. "What on earth is going on here?" I moved to go undo the lady but Holmes stopped me.

"I wouldn't do that."

"But…Holmes…"

"Things aren't always what they seem, old chap. This woman happens to be a murderer."

"What?" I stole another glance at the woman Holmes was accusing of such a crime and noticed a tear falling down her cheek. Her whole manner was now one of loss and defeat.

"Yes, I can understand your shock, my dear fellow," Holmes went on explaining. "But, this is where my facts have led me, as unhappy as they might be. However, there are a couple things that I still do not understand; if you would be so good as to answer a couple of questions for me madam."

The lady never looked up. "What do you want to know?"

"First, I understand the circumstances of how abominably Mr. Drew Stanley used you, Lady Benning; and I understand your motive for killing him in your passion for revenge. However, it would have been better if you had taken the matter to the police instead of into your own hands?"

"What could they have done for me? In the eyes of the law, Mr. Stanley was not really a criminal. But to a woman whom he had used, he was the worst kind of blackguard. Besides, I couldn't wait for Inspector Lestrade to finish his half-hearted investigation."

"I see, madam." Holmes just stood there thinking.

"Mr. Holmes?" Lady Benning began. "How did you find out it was me?"

"Oh, it wasn't so difficult. The lipstick print that you left on the face of the deceased was quite clear. I just had to find its match. After that it wasn't hard to track you down. And to conclusively prove that it was you and that your lipstick matched those found on Mr. Stanley I had to secure another print. To do so without arousing your suspicions I had to secure your trust. I know that in your eyes, I must seem no better than Mr. Stanley for my actions, but you must understand that I have a job to do any way that I can."

"I understand, Mr. Holmes. You could do no less." Lady Benning quietly agreed. "But you must also understand my motive for doing so. I wanted to be the last person he saw before he went to his eternal judgment for what he did. I wanted him to be thinking about his sins when it was too late to make amends for them. I wanted a kiss to be the last thing he felt before he died so he would finally realize the pain he caused. I know now that such behavior is unpardonable in a lady, but in the passion of that moment, all I cared about was having my revenge. Now," she paused as she thought. "I am prepared to pay for my crimes to society and make answer for them to my maker as well."

I was moved by Lady Benning's confession. Despite her crime, one had to admire her courage. I looked over to Holmes. He hadn't moved, but I could tell that his eyes were full of sympathy. He quickly regained his cold expression however.

"Madam, as I said before, it is most regrettable that things have to be this way, however, I must say that, in the end, you have displayed the strength of character that is so very rare these days. I give you my word that, if you should wish it, I will do everything I can to now work in your favor in any way I possibly can. Watson, if you would be so kind to go ring up Lestrade and ask him to come down right away."

I left Holmes and Lady Benning there talking as I went inside to get in touch with Lestrade. After Holmes had satisfied himself that he had the true criminal and had clarified every point of the case, he was all courtesy to the lady. It wasn't a double standard on Holmes' part to be that way. He understood his duty, but even more importantly he understood that, in such cases, the human heart could exact more tortured justice upon an individual than the system of society ever could. Therefore, although he was in favor of catching the criminal and making him pay for his crime, he was also in favor of helping the individual that merely lost his path and wasn't the hardened criminal.

I don't know how this story got started, but the idea came to me to write something that wasn't how it seemed to be.


End file.
